A year and a half separate us from the dragged-out previous presidential election, with no fundamental change in the election procedure on the horizon. At least during the time of the current composition of the Riigikogu. The procedure of constitutional...

Officers of the Estonian Central Criminal Police have arrested more than ten people as suspects in membership of a criminal organization, including two high-profile businessmen and two former officers of the police and the Internal Security Service (ISS),...

The Riigikogu State Budget Control Select Committee is set to discuss Estonia’s chances for EU subsidies during the new budget period and whether it would be sensible to divide Estonia into two regions today.

The Ministry of Defense’s administrative area development plan for 2019-2022 prescribes three major additional investments: over €200 million will be spent on ammunition, €60 million on communication systems, and tens of millions on anti-air capacity.

Tallinn Deputy Mayor Aivar Riisalu’s idea to use city assets to buy a holding in a small commercial bank to secure a license for the Tallinn Cooperative Bank is misguided and would lead to unhealthy competition with the private sector, finds CEO of Versobank...

The Bank of Estonia sees as dangerous and problematic attempts by Enterprise Estonia (EAS), that oversees Estonia’s e-residency program, to adopt alternative working capital, such as the estcoin, on the community level.

The backdrop of Russian propaganda hides the far more dangerous practice of recruiting agents of influence in Europe, the Information Board’s recent yearbook suggests. Forget Edgar Savisaar – Russian intelligence is looking at young European politicians...

The Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) did not know how to develop a border in 2015. Additional cost of €118 million hit the public like a cold shower as officials were reluctant to cool politicians’ enthusiasm with facts.

Prime Minister Jüri Ratas said that in his experience the Perviy Baltiysky Kanal (PBK) has not distorted the government’s messages or spread misinformation, answering the opposition’s questions in reaction to the Center Party’s decision to procure...

When Postimees visited the Italian Air Force detachment deployed in Ämari Air Base on 26th of February, there was a feeling of excitement among the aircrew – just a day earlier NATO had given alert to the Danish fighters who are also on the NATO Baltic Air...

The Ministry of the Interior and the government must decide whether to develop a more modest eastern border or postpone its completion considering recent analyses, according to which the development will cost more than planned.

Estonian transport companies are disgruntled with a situation where laden trucks must often wait days to cross the border to Russia while empty trucks of a select few are allowed to cross in almost no time at all. The border crossing point has been privatized...

Minister of the Interior Andres Anvelt received a calculation from the Police and Border Guard Board (PPA) yesterday that suggests development of Estonia’s eastern border will cost more than 2.5 times what was initially forecast.

Chairman of the board of public broadcaster ERR, Erik Roose, sums up his vision for the public law media funding model as follows: “More sensible, longer-lived, clearer.” He is not satisfied with the current model and believes that ways of securing...

Ukraine’s decision to add Estonia to the list of countries it considers tax havens managed, in just a few weeks, to create a situation where Estonian companies were avoided by both banks and business partners.

Alcohol excise duty receipt forecasts have never missed the mark by as much as they will in 2017. While we will learn the truth in early February, it is clear forecasts are too optimistic by some €40-50 million. It is probable that even the adjusted summer...

Support for the Estonian opposition Reform Party rose to the highest level in five years, while support for the prime minister's Center Party and the whole government coalition declined considerably, it appears from a survey taken by Kantar Emor for BNS and...

Party Financing Monitoring Committee (ERJK) decided yesterday to launch proceedings based on articles published in Postimees on whether the Center Party used programs it procured on the Perviy Baltysky Kanal (PBK) for advertising purposes.

The start of the Monte Carlo Rally today will mark the end of a period of suspense for Estonia’s best rally team Ott Tänak and Martin Järveoja. How have the men adjusted at Toyota? Was it the right choice to change teams? How fast is the Yaris?

Draft legislation by five MPs to compensate companies that lost money in the VEB Fund affair from the state budget was prepared by the legal counsel of five certificate holders. One of the motives of the bill’s initiators is to complicate Siim Kallas’...

Rain Laane (46), who has been in charge of the Estonian Health Insurance Fund for 100 days now, says that the health insurance financing model is too rigid, and people caught in the system’s gears often don’t have the time to wait for lifesaving change.

Finnish visionary Peter Vesterbacka hopes that the Tallinn-Helsinki tunnel will make Estonia and Finland the coming decade’s pioneers in European transport. Experts commend the Finn for pursuing the tunnel project but say it could be tripped by several...

I have always believed that a politician’s honor and dignity are ensured by their selflessness and thorough reasoning behind decisions, not power. Whether the politician is a member of the opposition or coalition is up to the voter, or at worst the result of...

Minister of Justice Urmas Reinsalu’s (IRL) recent choice of words led to a situation where his resignation was demanded by not only members of the opposition, but also the coalition. The scandalous statement also drew flak away from the president’s...

Even though there are examples of the competition watchdog having succeeded in putting its foot down in recent years, others have sparked suspicion as to the board’s independence. The justice minister says the government plans to discuss improving how the...

Honorary Chairman of the Reform Party, Viimsi Municipality Mayor Siim Kallas believes Estonia should revise and modernize its local governments’ funding policy. It should also consider laying down a real estate tax.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov clearly implied there is no sense in hoping for the ratification of the Estonia-Russia border agreement in the State Duma as things stand when answering Postimees’ question. Lavrov lauded Finland’s sensible...

Danish Defense Minister Claus Hjort Fredriksen says in an interview that 2014 was a sudden wake-up call for Denmark that caused the country’s national defense priorities to shift from foreign missions to Baltic Sea security.

While the Center Party and the Pro Patria Res Publica Union (IRL) are still debating free county coaches, the Estonian Road Administration is moving forward with Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Kadri Simson’s (Center) plan.

No fewer than 1.7 million copies of the German newspaper Bild are printed every day. The paper has ten million daily readers online. That is the readership of editor Julian Röpcke’s articles that have revealed several lies told by the Russian government and...

The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church (EELK) received millions of euros from the government even though it has never been legally determined whether the church even has a right to the Tallinn St. Nicholas’ Church. Cultural circles are relieved...